Henry Vincent Blayney, 5th Lord Blayney

Born 1667/70 at Castleblayney (Ireland)
Baron from 3 Nov 1670 [43]
died Aug 1689 in London, England

See Ancestry.

Go to [Descendancy])

In 1678 he was captain of a company of foot and a "great promoter of the revolution, and a brave asserter of the protestant interest, for which he was attained in King Jame's parliament 1680, and had his estate sequestred, ever since which the family has been favoured by a pension from the crown" [39] [707]. This means that he had his estate confiscated after he was condemned by the Catholic parliament of James II [see below] but his support for William of Orange was rewarded when the Protestant William became William III of England.

In 1680 Henry sold off most of the Monaghan estate to Alexander CAIRNES Esq which, after passing through the Cairnes, Murray, and Cuningham(e) families, was inherited by the Westenras who became the Lords Rossmore. The estate is now known as the Rossmore Estate. [18], [18b] [55]. A different story is told by Denis RUSHE who claims in his 1895 "Historical Scetches of Monaghan" [1052] that "Henry Blayney, Lord Baron of Monaghan, having sided with King James II. for a while, covered his estate with a mortgage to protect himself from confiscation, and the mortgagee of the Monaghan portions of his estate foreclosed, and sold the estate to a Williamite General, named Robert Echlin". However earlier Rushe noted "Lord Blayney was the only Peer from this County who sat in the House of Lords under King James, which seat he occupied as Baron of Monaghan", which is not the same as "sided with". Rushe goes on to relate that Echlin sold the estate to Cairns, (later created baronet Sir Alexander). Cairns son, Sir Henry Cairns died without issue but his daugher [Mary] married the then Lord Blayney [Cadwallader, 7th Lord who died without tthem having issue]. Mary then re-married, to John Murray and they had five daughters - see Mary CAIRNES.

On 22 August 1681 he was accused before the Council of being concerned in a plot, but was discharged.

Between 1683 [324] and 1684 [253] Lord Blayney purchased the command of Lord Longford's troops for £1,700.

He fled Castleblayney at the outbreak of the Williamite Wars in 1687 and in 1689 was chosen as commander-in-chief of the Protestant forces raised to defend Monaghan and Armagh against King James II [08] [469]. He proclaimed King William and Queen Mary for the North of Ireland which earned him a conviction of treason from King James' Parliament [see below]

"In March, 1688 about 3000 of the Irish being garrisoned in the fort of Charlemont, and attempting to plunder the Protestants of the neighbourhood of Armagh, Lord Blayney had frequent skirmishes with them, in which he constantly prevailed, until the 13th of the month, when, on being informed that his castle of Monaghan was taken by the Rapparees [Irish], and that all the Protestant forces in that quarter had retreated to Glasslough, where they were closely besieged by the enemy; and hearing that Sir Arthur Rawdon had quitted Loughbrickland, of which the Irish army, under Gen. Hamilton, had taken possession, he marched to join his friends at Glasslough, where they were relieved by the valour of Matthew Anketell, Esq., a gentleman of considerable property in the neighbourhood (which is now possessed by his immediate descendant, W. Anketell, Esq., of Anketell Grove), who had collected two troops of horse and three companies of foot." [322] [Very similar to Lodge's Peerage of Ireland version[707]]

In 1689 Lord Blayney faced a 7,000 strong "Jacobite" army of (Lt.) General Richard Hamilton (who intended to reduce Ulster to submission) with 1800 "indifferently well armed" men from Armagh and Monaghan. Attacks by Blayney's men produced significant losses on Hamilton's army. Hamilton's headquarters at Glasslough was defeated and at the bridge at Artrea the remaining "300 foot and the same number of horse" (the other 1200 had already fled in terror) not only held off 1,000 enemy, but "put them to flight with considerable loss" (140 Irish killed).[475] [489]

In 1689 the Parliament called by King James in Dublin passed "An Act for the Attainder of Divers Rebels, and for Preserving the Interest of Loyal Subjects." In this a list of supporters of King James' "unnatural enemy the Prince of Orange" including "Henry Lord Blaney, of Monaghan" were "declared and adjudged traitors, convicted and attainted of high treason, and shall suffer such pains of death, penalties, and forfeitures respectively, as in cases of high treason are accustomed." [323]. Of course Protestant writers saw this differently, so we read "Henry Vincent, fifth Lord Blayney; who for his eminent and distinguished services in the defence of the religion, laws, and liberties of his country, was attainted in King Jame's parliament, 1689; and had his estate of 1100£ a year sequestered..." [484] [485] [707].

"After this (like many other Protestants) he was obliged to seek refuge in England from the calamities, which overspread this unhappy country, where he ended his days." [707]

Descendancy:

1 Henry Vincent BLAYNEY b.1667(70) m.1686 d.Aug1689 (England but bur. at Monaghan) 
  Became the 5th Lord Blayney in 1670 on the death of his father Richard
  As he died without a male heir, the Baronage passed to his younger brother William, the 6th Lord Blayney
 + Margaret MOORE b~1668 (Croghan, County Offaly, Ireland); m.1686; d.1725
   Eldest dau of Thomas MOORE and Ellen COLLEY (dau. of Dudley MOORE of Castle Carbery); 
   Elder sister of John MOORE, 1st Lord Tullamoore. 
   After Henry Vincent's death Margaret married (on 01Oct1691) Charles DERING, Auditor of the Exchequer
  2 Elizabeth BLAYNEY b.1687 d.1692 age 5
  2 Eleanor (Elinor) BLAYNEY b.14May1689; d.10Jun1743
   + Nicholas MAHON Esq (counsellor at law) m.14Feb1709 d.15Jan1729
     Third son of Capt. Nicholas MAHON Esq and Magdalene FRENCH   
    3 Nicholas MAHON Esq
      d.Jun1739 from a fall from his horse; bur. CastleBlayney
     + Mary BLAYNEY b. 1716; his second cousin
       (daughter of Cadwallader BLAYNEY, the 7th Lord)
       m.3Dec1736
      4 Elinor-Carolina MAHON
       + Joseph CORRY of Monaghan
    3 Blayney MAHON m.16Sep1742
     + Joan WELLER
       Youngest dau of Capt John WELLER of the Dublin Yacht
    3 Elizabeth MAHON d.15Apr1756
     +(1)Charles Talbot BLAYNEY (8th Lord Blayney) & her 2nd cousin. m.Nov1734
      4 Henry Vincent BLAYNEY b.1737 d.1754 age 17 no issue.
    3 Elinor MAHON